I travelled to GrapeRide with high spirits, high confidence and high expectation of defending my title from 2011. Such is the luck, no not luck, let’s say nature of cycling that I finished the first day of this weekend bruised in more way than one (arm, hip and ego to boot)!
Hindsight is a funny thing – a beast if left to take over your thoughts deep into the hours of the night (and as a cyclist, into the hours of crucial recovery time). Alas I was ready for some form of redemption at the first round of the Elite Series on Sunday – an out and back up the Wairau valley to St Arnaud.
As a team, Subway Pro Cycling entered the second race, on a high and full of confidence from the previous day’s win (thanks to Nick Lovegrover) and placing 2 more in the top five. Unfortunately, I alongside my two other key Subway Pro cycling team mates were caught napping when a large break of riders got ahead of the main group, at one stage over 6 minutes in front of us, effectively ending our aspirations of chasing the win.
On a positive note, as expected I came away from Blenheim impressed at the organisation of the GrapeRide; the scenery and weather (seldom a disappointment when travelling from Christchurch!); and the volume of participation of a population largely interested in having a good time AND improving their fitness!